Dishwasher having improved vent means



Aug- 27, 1968 M. R. KAUFFMAN 3,398,756

DISHWASHER HAVING IMPROVED VENT MEANS Filed Oct. l5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet1 F\ G INVENTOR.

MELV\N R.. KAUF'F'MAN BYWW PHS ATTORNEY Aug 27, 1968 M. R. KAUFFMAN3,398,756

DISHWASHER HAVING IMPROVED VENT MEANS Filed Oct. 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet2 El] \S 38 ,fl 1 as 4o 36 43 SZ. '1- ll So O g f Q 3A- c- A 'z 36 25 3a35 Q 44?. "42- J SO 4S F i3 INVENTOR. 45 Msn/m RKAUFFMAN was ATTQRNEYUnited States Patent O 3,398,756 DISHWASHER HAVING IMPRGVED VENT MEANSMelvin R. Kauffman, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General ElectricCompany, a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 586,544S Claims. (Cl. 134-58) This invention relates generally to automaticdishwashers of the type used in the home and, more specifically, to animproved vent means to vent the dishwasher wash chamber during drying ofthe articles contained therein.

Domestic dishwashers have been provided with vent means prior to thepresent invention. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,092,122, issued to L.W. Guth on June 4, 1963, and assigned to the General Electric Company,assignee of the present invention, discloses a vent means of the generalcharacter described herein. However, the vent means disclosed by Guthinvolves direct mechanical connection between a vent closure member anda sequence control means for the dishwasher. The sequence control meansis normally driven by a synchronous electric motor which, althoughproviding sufiicient power to drive the required switch operating camswithin the control means, may become overloaded when required tomechanically actuate an external element such as the vent closure means.This overloading can result in jamming of the entire sequence controlmeans thus frustrating operation of the dishwasher.

It would be possible to provide separate electrical means to operate thevent closure member such as, for example, a separate solenoid or bimetalelement; however, these means are expensive to provide. It would also bepossible to provide a manually operable vent closure member but thiswould require the presence of the housewife to manually operate theclosure member at the -appropriate time thus compromising the automaticaspects of the dishwasher.

One other alternative is to provide a vent means without a closuremember, i.e., a continuously open vent means. Such arrangement, however,may result in leakage of uid from the wash chamber durin-g wash andrinse operations due to the vigorous spray action generated therein.Also, the wash and rinse uid is quite hot, preferably 140 to 180 F.,which would create a continuous ow of moisture laden air from the washchamber during wash and rinse operations. i

Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved vent means for anautomatic dishwasher which retains the -automatic aspect and otherbenefits of the type of vent ymeans disclosed in U.S. Patent No.3,092,122 while at the same time avoiding overloading of the sequencecontrol means and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved vent means for an automatic dishwasher.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vent means for anautomatic dishwasher which operates automatically at the desired timeduring the dishwasher cycle of operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vent means for anautomatic dishwasher which does not increase the mechanical load imposedupon the sequence control means drive motor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vent means for anautomatic dishwasher which is simple to operate and is relativelyinexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention,an automatic dishwasher is provided and comprises a wash chamber adaptedto receive and contain articles to be washed and dried therein. Meansare provided to wash and rinse articles within the wash chamber and heatdrying means are provided to dry, by evaporation, articles within thewash chamber. Treating agent dispensing means are provided to dispense atreating agent into the wash chamber and include a movable member Iwhichmoves as the dispensing means dispenses thetreating agent. Vent meansare provided and include a relatively small opening to vent the washchamber to the atmosphere and a closure member is provided for theopening. Means interconnect the closure member and the movable member toopen the closure member as the dispensing means dispenses the treatingagent.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention, it is believed the invention will be better understood fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view, partially cut away and partially insection to show details, of an automatic dishwasher employing thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary View taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the vent -means in adifferent condition of operation.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIG- URE l thereof, thereis illustrated an automatic dishwasher 10 having an outer cabinet 11defining therein a wash chamber 12. Cabinet 11 has a large accessopening in one wall thereof and is provided with a closure member ordoor 13 to seal the access opening during operation of the dishwasher.Door 13 is pivotal about a hinge means 14 adjacent the bottom of thedoor. A door latch is provided to latch the door 13 in the closedposition, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and includes a latch operatinghandle 15 which projects beyond the outer wall 16 of door 13 forconvenient manual manipulation by the operator of the dishwasherIDisposed within wash chamber 12 are a pair of dishsupporting racks 17and 18 each of which is adapted to receive and support articles to beWashed, rinsed and dried within wash chamber 12. Although racks 17 and18 do not form an important part of the present invention, and thereforewill not be discussed in detail, it is to be understood that racks 17and 18 are suitably supported within lWash chamber 12 so that they maybe at least partially withdrawn through the access opening when door 13is in its open position. This withdrawal facilitates loading andunloading of the racks.

The lower extremity of wash chamber 12 is defined by a bottom wall 19having a centrally depressed portion forming therein a sump 20. Disposedwithin sump 20, and supported by bottom wall 19, is a motor-pumpassembly 21 comprising an electric drive motor 22, a drain pump 23 and a-wash pump 24. Motor 22 is of the electrically reversible type and, inone direction of rotation of motor 22, pump 24 draws liquid through aninlet 25 and propels it upwardly into a reaction type spray arm 26.Spray arm 26 is provided with a plurality of orifices which direct aspray upwardly within wash chamber 12 to impinge upon articles supportedby ra-cks 17 and 18. Certain of these orifices are directed such thatthe reaction force of the liquid issuing therefrom causes spray arm 26to rotate. In the `opposite direction of rotation of motor 22, drainpump 23 draws liquid through inlet 25 and propels it outwardly throughan effluent discharge 27 which is connected to the normal householdsewer system (not shown).

A normal complete operational cycle for dishwasher 10 may include aninitial admission of water to Wash chamber 12 by means of a water inletvalve (not shown) followed by the energization of motor 22 in thedirection wherein pump 24 propels the water up through spray arm 26.This operation would comprise a prerinse and may last for two or threeminutes. At this point, motor 22 would be de-energized and thenre-energized in the opposite direction of rotation so that drain pump 23would drain the liquid from sump 20 and pump it into the household sewersystem. Following this, another charge of water would be admitted towash chamber 12 and a detergent dispenser (not shown) would be energizedto dispense a predetermined amount -of detergent into the water andmotor 22 would be energized in the direction to effectuate a wash actionupon the articles within wash chamber 12. This operation, of course,would be the wash operation and may last -for several minutes. Onceagain, motor 22 would be reversed to drain wash chamber 12. Followingthis, there would be at least one, and perhaps two, post-rinsesidentical to the aforedescribed pre-rinse. After termination of the lastpostrinse, an electrical resistance heating element 28 would beenergized to facilitate drying of articles supported by racks 17 and .18by evaporation of the liquid remaining thereon. The foregoing series ofoperations is conventional in all respects and, as is well known in thedishwasher art, a sequence control means 29 is provided to energize andde-energize the appropriate electrical elements of dishwasher in apredetermined sequence. Control means 29 may include a synchronouselectrical timer motor (not specifically shown) and a series of camoperated switches (not specifically shown). Such arrangement is wellknown in the dishwasher art and because of this, these elements are notdescribed in detail herein. As is also conventional, a manually-operableknob '30 projects beyond outer wall r16 of door 13 so that control means29 may be manually adjusted or started.

A treating agent dispensing means in the form of a rinse aid injector31, best seen in FIGURE 2, is disposed Within a chamber 32 defined byouter wall 16 and inner wall 33 of door 13. Rinse aid injector 31includes a reservoir portion 34 capable of containing a supply of rinseaid suicient to serve for several cycles of operation of dishwasher 10.A dispensing mechanism (not shown) is disposed within reservoir portion34 and is adapted to pump or dispense a predetermined quantity of rinseaid into wash chamber 12 upon release of a trip mechanism 35. Tripmechanism 35 is biased toward the dispensing position by a spring 36.Rinse aid injector 31 dispenses a predetermined quantity of rinse aid towash chamber 12 as trip mechanism 35 moves from the position illustratedin FIGURE 2 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3, it being understoodthat additional mechanism within reservoir portion 34 (not shown) ismechanically linked to mechanism 35 to carry out the dispensing functionas movement takes place. A cap 37 is disposed beyond wall 33 to cover aninlet through which rinse aid is admitted to replenish the rinse aidcontained within reservoir portion 34. Except for the trip mechanism 35,which is to be discussed in greater detail hereinafter, rinse aidinjector 31 may be substantially as described and claimed in 'U.S.Patent No. 3,198,387, issued to Norman L. Kendt and John A. Dicken, Jr.,on Aug. 3, 1965, and assigned to the General Electric Company, assigneeof the present invention.

Means are provided to automatically cock or energize rinse aid injector31. The means include a link 38 which is secured at one end to latchoperating handle so that as handle 1'5 is moved between the latchedposition of FIGURE 2 and an unlatched position, wherein handle 15 ismoved far to the left as viewed in FIGURE 2, link 38 moves therewith.The other end of link 3S is provided with an elongated slot 39 whichreceives a pin 40. Pin 40 is rigidly secured to trip mechanism 35 andloosely tits within slot 39 so that it is free to move, relative to link38, an extent equal to the length of elongated slot 39.

Trip mechanism 35 is pivotal about a pin 41 carried by the body of rinseaid injector 31. A small projection 4 42 is adapted to engage a stop 43whereby movement of trip mechanism 35, in the clockwise direction asviewed in FIGURES 2 and 3, is limited by engagement between projection42 and stop 43. Thedistal end of trip mechanism 35 includes a catch 44which engages a U-shaped current-responsive bi-metal element 45 whentrip mechanism 35 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction. Catch 44has a beveled surface 46 which cams element 45 out of the way so thatcatch 44 may pass down into the element 45 and be retained in theposition shown in FIGURE 2 by the bifurcation of the bimetal element 45.

With the foregoing arrangement, each lime handle 15 is moved from thelatched position to the unlatched position, which must occur each timedoor 13 is opened, link 38 is moved from the position shown in FIGURE 2to a position wherein pin 40 rests at the other extreme of slot 39. Iftrip mechanism 35 has been released, or tripped, prior to the movementof handle 15, link 38 will engage pin 40 and rotate trip mechanism 35 tothe cocked position of FIGURE 2 as handle 15 is moved to the unlachedposition. During subsequent movements of handle 15 between the latchedand the unlatched positions, trip mechanism 35 will remain cocked due toengagement between element 45 and catch 44, and link 38 will simply moverelative to pin 40 due to the elongation of slot 39. When handle 15 isin the latched position of FIGURE 2, trip mechanism 35 is free to movefrom the cocked position to the uncocked position of FIGURE 3 since pin40 is free to slide the length of elongated slot 39.

As described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 3,198,387, and as isotherwise well known in the dishwasher art, sequence control means 29 isprogrammed to cause rinse aid injector 31 to dispense the predeterminedamount of rinse aid into wash chamber 12 during the last post-rinse.This is accomplished in the structure illustrated in the drawings bycausing current to How through element 45 which causes exing of element45 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. As the bifurcation ofelement 45 passes beyond the end of catch 44, spring 37 moves tripmechanism 35 to the position of FIGURE 3 thus eliectuating dispensing ofthe rinse aid into Wash chamber 12.

In accordance with the .present invention, means are provided toautomatically vent wash chamber 12 during the drying portion of theoperational cycle of dishwasher 10. It is to be understood that thedrying operation immediately .follows the final post-rinse. The ventmeans of the present invention includes an opening 47 in wall 33 havinga baffle 48 disposed thereover but spaced therefrom to minimize escapeof wash uid from wash chamber 12 through opening 47. Disposed withinchamber 32, opposite opening 47, is a housing 49 which has an open topprovided with a closure member 50. Closure member 50 is pivoted to oneedge of housing 49 by a hinge 51. A link 52 interconnects closure member50 and trip mechanism 35 such that when trip mechanism 35 is in thecocked position illustrated in FIGURE 2, closure member 50 is closedand, when trip 'mechanism 35 is in the tripped position of FIGURE 3,closure member 50 is opened.

At the bottom of wall 33, a vent plate 53 is secured thereto and delinesa passageway y54 leading from chamber 32 into wash chamber 12. Thepurpose of vent plate 53 is to prevent escape of tiuid from wash chamber12 into chamber 32. Passageway 54 allows air to enter from theatmosphere in the manner illustrated by the arrows in FIGURE l. Whenclosure member 50` is opened, air leaves wash chamber 12 through opening47 and housing 49 to enter chamber 32 at the. upper portion thereof.From the upper portion of chamber 32, the moisture laden air can escapethrough the openings provided for handle 15 and knob 30. Additionally,if desired, other openings may be provided. As mentioned earlier, duringthe drying portion of the operational cycle, heating element 28 isenergized thus heating the air in the lower portion of wash chamber 12.As this air is heated, it rises and flows over the articles contained inracks 17 and 18, picking up moisture as it does so, and then egressesthrough opening 47. The air within wash chamber 12 is replenished byrelatively dry air entering through passageway S4.

Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides an improvedvent means for an automatic dishwasher which retains the automaticaspects and other benefits of the type of vent means disclosed in U.S.Patent No. 3,092,122 while at the same time avoiding overloading of thesequence control means and which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture. Overloading of the sequence control means is avoided sincesprin-g 36 provides the force to open closure member 50 and the energystored by spring 36 is transferred thereto by manual manipulation ofhandle 15. The relatively inexpensive aspects of the present inventionare obvious from the fact that only link 52 is required to realize thebenets of the present invention inasmuch as trip mechanism 35 and theother elements associated therewith are required in order to carry outthe rinse aid injection operation.

As will be evident .from the foregoing description, certain aspects ofthe invention are not limited to the particular details of constructionof the example illustrated, and it is contemplated that various othermodifications or applications will occur to those skilled in the art. Itis therefore intended that the appended claims shall cover suchmodifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit andscope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An automatic dishwasher comprising:

(a) a wash chamber adapted to receive and contain articles to be washedand dried therein,

(b) means to wash and rinse articles Within said wash chamber,

(c) heat drying means to dry by evaporation articles within said washchamber,

(d) treating agent dispensing means to dispense a treating agent intosaid Wash chamber,

(e) said treating agent dispensing means including a movable memberwhich moves as said dispensing means dispenses said treating agent,

(f) vent means including a relatively small opening to vent said washchamber to the atmosphere,

(g) a closure member for said opening, and

(h) means interconnecting said closure member and said movable member toopen said closure member as said dispensing means dispenses saidtreating agent.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said treating agent dispensing meansfurther includes an energy storing device and said movable member ismoved by said energy storing device.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said treating agent dispensing meanscomprises a rinse aid injector controlled to dispense rinse aid duringthe step of operation of the dishwasher immediately preceding operationof said heat drying means.

4. An automatic dishwasher comprising:

(a) a wash chamber adapted to receive and contain articles to be washedand dried therein,

(b) means to wash and rinse articles within said wash chamber,

(c) heat drying means to dry by evaporation articles within said washchamber,

(d) treating agent dispensing means to dispense a treating agent intosaid wash chamber,

(e) said treating agent dispensing means including a trip mechanismhaving a tripped position and a cocked position,

(f) vent means including a relatively small opening to vent said washchamber to the atmosphere,

(g) a closure member member for said opening, and

(h) means interconnecting said closure member and said trip mechanism toopen said closure member as said mechanism moves from said cockedposition to said tripped position.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said trip mechanism includes apivotal member spring-biased toward said tripped position and a bimetalelement to maintain said pivotal member in said cocked position and torelease said pivotal member when electrical current passes through saidbimetal element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,092,122 6/ 1963 Guth 134-583,198,387 `8/1965 Kendt et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,277,163 10/ 1961 France. 1,210,150 2/ 1966 Germany.

962,940 7/ 1964 Great Britain.

ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

1. AN AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER COMPRISING: (A) A WASH CHAMBERR ADAPTED TORECEIVE AND CONTAIN ARTICLES TO BE WASHED AND DRIED THEREIN, (B) MEANSTO WASH AND RINSE ARTICLES WITHIN SAID WASH CHAMBER, (C) HEAT DRYINGMEANS TO DRY BY EVAPORATION ARTICLES WITHIN SAID WASH CHAMBER, (D)TREATING AGENT DISPENSING MEANS TO DISPENSE A TREATING AGENT INTO SAIDWASH CHAMBER, (E) SAID TREATING AGENT DISPENSING MEANS INCLUDING AMOVABLE MEMBER WHICH MOVES AS SAID DISPENSING MEANS DISPENSES SAIDTREATING AGENT, (F) VENT MEANS, INCLUDING A RELATIVELY SMALL OPENING TOVENT SAID WASH CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, (G) A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAIDOPENING, AND (H) MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND SAIDMOVABLE MEMBER TO OPEN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AS SAID DISPENSING MEANSDISPENSES SAID TREATING AGENT.